Could direct rule solve Northern Ireland’s political crisis?

Power-sharing talks at Stormont have dramatically collapsed again. This is a shock to many in Northern Ireland, where an apparent thawing in the relationship between the DUP and Sinn Fein led to speculation that the announcement of a deal was imminent. Instead, the stasis continues.

Northern Ireland has now been without a functioning government for just over 13 months, since Sinn Fein first plunged Northern Irish politics into limbo by pulling out of their pact with the DUP in January 2017. The reason for their decision to back out of the power sharing agreement was Arlene Foster’s apparent complicity – which she has denied – in the botched ‘cash for ash’ scandal. Since the collapse of power-sharing, however, Sinn Fein have added to their wish list and say they won’t come back into government unless the DUP agrees to a number of demands, including new legislation to promote the Irish language. The DUP are staunchly against the introduction of any such laws.